Alex Trelinski
A MAN married two women within months in the Madrid area so that his wives could get Spanish residency papers.
The ceremonies were performed in two courts that did not share a database and therefore did not flag up the second wedding as illegal since the groom had been divorced.
Police arrested the Spaniard in Madrid on January 11 for bigamy and usurping the rights of foreign citizens.
The man had a record of abuse and sexual assault, not related to the two women.
The first marriage took place at Chinchon court in the summer of 2021 to a Columbian woman, with the second ceremony held in Alcala de Henares a few months later to a woman of Guinean nationality.
One of the brides lived over 200 kilometres away in Burgos.
Investigations revealed the man had no previous contact or relationship with the women, except for the five minutes they went through the civil ceremonies.
It’s not been disclosed what was paid for the groom’s services, though authorities say up to €2,000 is charged for a marriage of convenience.
The police are convinced the man chose the two courts in the full knowledge that a check could not be made on his marital status.
He was caught out much later when officials processing the residency application of the second wife recognised the name of the Spaniard as having been used in an earlier application by his first partner.
READ MORE:
- Crooked lawyer ran Costa Blanca ‘marriage of convenience’ scam for non-Spaniards to get residency
- Priest avoids jail time after approving marriages of convenience in Costa Blanca and Murcia areas of Spain
- Suspected sham marriage gang arrested in Spain
